The Black Sickness
by Thorn of the Rose
Summary: Inuyasha is cursed with a thing called the black sickness. There is no cure, and he is dying. Then Kagome leaves, and wont be back for two weeks. Will Inuyasha die before he gets to say goodbye, or will something wierd happen? R&R!
1. Chapter One

Authors note: Yay! A new fanfiction! I am so sorry Chibi Playing With Fire. I must have overlooked you, or gotten the email late. Sorry! Does this count as mentioned?

Okay, this is another one of those angst stories. It does have happy ending, though. I think. I havent really thought that far, but I promise they wont die. Not this time anyway. Not permanantly. I swear it isnt a death fic, even if it seems like one. Arigato!

Oh, and one last reminder: Please reveiw.I really appreciate getting reveiws, and I hope to get a lot this story, so maybe I can hit my Two Hundred make. I dont expect any one story to do it, but all together.....

* * *

It was quiet, very quiet, in Kaedes village. This was a good thing, because tonight was the full moon. Inuyasha looked up at the darkening sky. He could feel his demon half slipping away. _Maybe I wont transform this time._ He thought hopefully.  
  
"Yeah. Right." He snorted, having just been hit with reality. It came in the form of a rock, which Shippou had been tossing for the past hour or so. He had been bored. _Kids. Cant sit for a minute without getting bored, or hungry, or thirsty, or........._ Then, quite suddenly, his ears sank into his head, and he was deaf for a moment. Then he could hear again. 

But it was almost like being deaf. _Human ears are so weak._ He thought irritably. He felt the side of his head, and sure enough, there were those big, rediculous human ears. His gaze went back to the sky, and he sat watching the stars. His vision shifted slightly as his eyes changed color.

He was sitting on a hill, just outside the village. It was a place protected with powerful wards against demons with ill intentions. That should be good enough for most demons, though perhaps not Naraku. It wouldnt work on Sesshoumaru, either, but hed love to seen his servant try to get through. _What was his name again? _Inuyasha wondered. _Oh, yeah. Jaken._ The stupid little toady never failed to annoy him. As for that, Sesshoumaru never failed to annoy him either.

He heard footsteps. "DDDD this human body." He muttered under his breath. He would have been able to identify whoever was approachig if he hadnt practically lost his sense of smell. He would have heard them coming long ago if it wasnt for those DDDD human ears. He hated transforming. It made his vulnerable, and he hated being vulnerable. Who didnt?

It made Inuyasha frustrated that he couldnt identify the person approaching immeadiatly by their smell. He sniffed at the air in vain, catching only a dull imitation of scents. Wet grass, fresh leaves, and a faint hint of perfume. In human form, he couldnt even tell what kind of perfume it was! _This is rediculous._ He thought angrily.

"Who are you you, and what buisness do you have with me?" Inuyasha asked harshly. He stood up and turned around. There was a woman standing there. An elderly woman who looked like one good push would do her in. Her skin was a mass of wrinkles, and her hair was as gray as Kaedes, and pulled together just like Kikyo did.

"I am Kintaena. And who might you be?" Kintaena said shrewdly. Inuyasha immeadiatly took a disliking to her. He did that to a lot of people.

"None of your buisness, granny." He replied haughtily. He wasnt going to show her any kindness, not by a long shot. Besides. When had he ever been known to be nice to people?

"You shouldnt be so rude, child." She said. He snorted.

"And you shouldnt be so ugly. The world aint fair." He answered back. Her eyes flashed in anger. _Guess I hit a soft spot_. He thought triumphantly. Immeadiatly she drew out a scroll. Holding it between her index finger, and her middle finger, she held it up in front of her chest. The other hand lay limply at her side, and he noticed that it ended in a whithered stump.

Suddenly, he felt something twinge in his stomach. She began chanting something eerie. _A curse!_ Inuyasha thought frantically. _That ugly hag is cursing me!_ He was motionless, caught in the flow of the spell. An took flight with a hoot of protest at the engery encircling the two of them.

The scroll stopped being a scroll. It melted into a white blob with letters on it. The the letters ran, coloring te scroll/blob partially black. The blackness spread, and a the same time, the blob began to lose mass. It got lighter, and became more like a glow of black light, for now it was completely black, than a blob of anything.

The curse, for that was what it really was, not a blob, or a glow, rose into the air, taking flight from Kintaenas fingers and drifted toward him. Slowly, it came toward him, menacing and evil. _Shes no miko! Shes a kuromiko! A darkl preistess! No!_ Inuyasha thought, petrified. He was physically unable to move.

The orb flew onto his stomach, burning away the fabric of his kimono. It stuck like glue. With a dark chuckle, the priestess left. The orb then began to slowly sink into his skin. A wave of sudden pain hit him. It was so intense, he vomited. Another wave hit him, and he curled up in a ball. He was able to move now, but he wasnt paying any attention to that.

He could only focus on the pain. He had never felt anything like this! Not when he was poisoned by that cursed spider demon. Not when Kagome had nearly killed him, having been controlled by something. Not even that time when Sesshoumaru had plunged his hand right through his stomach. _That was in the same area, though._ Inuyash thought vaguely.

Dawn found him like this, curled up in as small a ball as possible. He felt, even through the terrible pain, his demon power return. _Maybe it will chase away the curse._ He thought hopefully. It did. His ears came back, and he could hear again. His sense od smell came back, and he could smell again. Last to change was the pain. It slowly faded away, leaving in its place a memory of the terrible hurting.

Inuyasha stood up, now back in his own body. The light of dawn colored everything in brilliant colors. For the first time in a while, he felt grateful. Grateful to be alive. Grateful to be rid of the pain. He walked slowly toward the village, savoring the beauty of it. His close call with death made him appreciate everything.

The soft green grass under his feet. The warm sun bathing his shoulders. The birds singing in the trees. He couldnt remember ever being so.... thoughtful. He walked past houses now, instead of trees. Horses, instead of bushes. He arrived at Kaedes house. He slid back the door, and walked into the cool shade, to find that everyone was still asleep.

He slid onto the floor, and fell asleep, glad at that moment, to be alive. Glad to be the Hanyou named Inuyasha.


	2. Chapter Two

Authors note: Wow! The first day after it was submitted, and I already got six reveiws! Alright guys, up for a challenge? If I get six reveiws between when this chapter is submitted, and when the next one is, there will be a Honorary Mention, and YOU may be the one who is mentioned. Likely, actually.

Okay, I will say one more time, this is very angsty and pain-filled, but it will not be one of those weepy _oh, Inuyasha is dead, now kagomes gonna kill herself_ fics. The people who reveiwed are as follows:

Fetchboy84

FieryDemonFox

The Lady Winged Night

Tenshi Girl (AKA the lady winged knight)

Tenshi Girl Wrote: There is no WAY that it's over...Curses may SEEM gone...but unless someone like Kaede or Miroku makes sure...  
  
Inu no baka. The curse is still there and you're nearly gonna die! But as you have kindly assured me, not permenantly and maybe not at all.

I write in return: I liked your reveiw so much, I just had to answer it.

Oh course its not over. It being over would ruin the fun! (grins evilly, then blankly stares at screen) Anyway. I may have Kaede or Miroku check, I dont know. I dont really plan how it is. For instance, when I wrote this chappie, I hadnt meant to bring Sesshoumaru into this. (oops!)

Inuyasha is being a bit of an idiot, and thats just like him, isnt it? Well, maybe he will, die, maybe he wont. I already know the answer, but Im not telling! That would ruin it, wouldnt it? Now, agree with me! It would, wouldnt it?! Thats right.

Inuyashas Horsegirl

PS: If I wind up signing something Eternal-Inuyasha, thats because I had to switch account from that for personal reasons.

* * *

_"No! Please, no!" Inuyasha moaned. He couldn't move. The dark priestess was there, chanting. Cursing him again! He couldn't help moaning. He was human, so weak. And helpless. He had felt this pain before, and would do nearly **anything** to keep it from coming again. Even moaning like a weakling. Anything was better than this._

_"Beg, Inuyasha." Kintaena hissed, the sharp sound escaping from her wrinkled lips. 'That ugly old hag!' he thought in torment. He knew exactly what was going to happen, and that didn't make anything better._

_It made it worse._

_'__I cant be weak' he thought desperately. The black orb, the curse, floated slowly toward him. Kintaena chuckled, and dissipated into only black smoke, wisps escaping and blowing in random directions. The orb floated ever closer. To Inuyashas dismay, it did not dissipate with her._

_The curse, glowing blackly as it always did, drew nearer and nearer. 'No! Please..... no......' He thought, struggling franticly to move. He couldn't. He couldn't even take his eyes off the evil black glow. Staring deep into its depths, he saw something stir. The glow stopped moving a foot from his eyes._

_He saw something in the orb. Shining back at him like a reflection, he saw Kagome climb out of the well. She paused, and yelled something, loud and long. The she yelled something short. Or at least, her lips didn't move for more that a half-second. He thought for sure it was 'sit!' Nothing happened._

_Worried, she walked slowly around the clearing, searching. She suddenly found what she was searching for. Screaming, she ran to what she found. Tears flew back from her streaming eyes. Her mouth remained open wide, and Inuyasha knew she was screaming something. Then suddenly he could hear her._

_"INUYASHA! INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!" She was screaming. "No! No!" She continued wildly. She shook her head, denying what was now before her very eyes. There he was. Inuyasha saw himself lying there, curled up in a very tight ball. His hands had small pools of blood around them, it looked like he had been clenching his fist in extreme pain._

_His golden eyes were dull, he saw, and glazed over with death. A small trickle of crimson blood had crept out of the corner of his mouth. He was dead, in this image. As the picture faded, and the orb began to menacingly creep closer again, Inuyasha knew that this was true. This was his future. To be dead, curled up in a ball, with Kagome sobbing her heartbreak over his body._

_Then the orb began to sink into his chest. He felt pain, just as he had that night with Kintaena. It was as bad as then. Only it was slightly more familiar this time. His eyes blurred with tears of pain. This was tormenting. Nothing could be worse than this. Nothing could ever be worse than this._

_"No." he said suddenly through ground teeth. It was a struggle to speak at all. "No, that vision hurt more." As if to prove him wrong, the pain intensified. It ripped a scream from his pain-racked body, and he shuddered. His vision swam, and still the pain grew worse. It ws unimaginable! "No......."_

__

_He fell unconscious.

* * *

_

"Inuyasha. Inuyashaaaaaaaa." Kagome said. Inuyasha woke with a start. Startled, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. It seemed to be the middle of the day. _What? _He thought silently. He looked up, and was met by the sight of Kagomes head, her deep brown eyes staring into his golden ones.

Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. This was a style Inuyasha had never seen her in before. She was wearing a pink sweatshirt, and her ponytail was dangling over her neck. It tickled him on the nose, and he sneezed, barely managing to turn his head in time to avoid sneezing in her face.

_Was I sleeping?_ He wondered. It had seemed so real. The pain was so vivid, so much like it had really been. It was terrible. He shivered and hoped that he would never have to go through that again."I let you sleep, because I figured you didn't get any sleep till dawn. Was I right?" She asked. He nodded amiably.

"Anyway, Inuyasha, Kaede says theres been a Kuromiko around, a dark priestess. Apparently shes been cursing people with a sickness only Hanyous can get. The black sickness." She continues. Inuyashas eyes contracted suddenly in fear. _The Kuromiko! It wasn't a dream!_ He thought with a pang of silent terror.

He would never let the others know of his fear, because that would make him seem weak. The only thing he cared about more than Kagome, and more than Skikon shards, was his ego. He was a bit of an ego case. He couldn't help it. He would never let anyone know how terrified he was. Not even if it meant he was tortured again. His mouth went dry at the very thought.

_No._ He realized. Under pain of that kind of torture, he would tell anything. Anything that was asked to him.

"Inuyasha? Are you alright?" Kagome asked with concern. She had noticed how pale he had gotten. He stared at her with angry eyes. Not, however, the kind of anger she thought.

* * *

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Lord Sesshoumaru-sama! I have brought tidings from Bokusenou!" The green toady, Jaken, exclaimed, waving his hands in the air. _He is happy about something._ Sesshoumaru noted. He didnt miss much. Including the fact that he also seemed slightly, ever so slightly, regretful.

Not enough that anyone else would pick it up, but Sesshoumaru was a Taiyoukai He didnt miss much. Not much at all. Besides, his sense of smell had _never_ failed him before. If he thought he smelled happiness, and regret, then he smelled happiness and regret. Of that he was sure.

"What news do you bring from Bokusenou, Jaken?" It was a question, but from the tone of voice used, you would have thought for sure it was a statement, and not a question. _If anything of vital importance is going on, Bokusenou will know. The wind tells him all. _Sesshoumaru thought with some satisfaction.

Bokusenou was the only one that Sesshoumaru truly respected, and realized as better than him (as far as knowledge goes). And it was the same way with Bokusenou. Mutual respect was a beautiful thing in their eyes, though Sesshoumaru was too egotistical to admit it to anyone.

"Inuyasha has been cursed!" Jaken cried joyously, obviously pleased with himself. When Sesshoumaru didnt praise him, which only Jaken could expect, he began to look puzzled. "Are you not pleased, lord Sesshoumaru-sama? Inuyasha will soon be dead! It is the black sickness." Jaken informed him.

"This will not do." Sesshoumaru answered thoughtfully. His expression darkened. "This will not do _at all!_ I wished to kill Inuyasha in battle. If he is to die before I am able to, I will not have that pleasure." But that wasnt all. Sesshoumaru had been secretly doubting himself lately. If he had told any of his doubts to Jaken or Rin, he would get a huge confidence boost, of course.

But his pride would never let him do that. He was Sesshoumaru, the lord of the Western Lands. And he had recently proved himself greater than the lords of the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Lands. No one had ever walked away alive. _Except Inuyasha._ He thought grimly. Was it possible he wanted to kill Inuyasha himself because he wasnt sure he could?

Inuyashas strength had been steadily increasing. Sesshoumaru had already reached his peak, being the eldest. Nearly a year ago, Inuyasha and he had fought. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had both gotten away unharmed, yet far too exausted to continue fighting. Jaken opened his mouth to speak in that annoying squeeky voice of his. Sesshoumaru backhandd him into a tree without heasitation.


	3. Chapter Three

_There is an evil presence here._ Miroku thought with surprise. But they were alone in Kaedes home, no one was there. _Except Inuyasha, and Sango. Kagome went to the spring, and shippou... I dont know whare shippou went. Its faint. It feels like a curse. A curse! Like the one Kaede said only effects Hanyous?_

Mirokus eyes opened wide in horror, and fear for his companion. _Is that it? Is Inuyasha cursed? With the Black Sickness?_ Inuyasha was staring moodily at the ground, not saying anything. But he seemed to sense the monks gaze and turned. "Whats your problem, monk?" Inuyasha snapped.

In a flash, he was on his feet, and Miroku had a huge bump on his head. _Whats my problem?_ He thought, echoing Inuyashas words. "Inuyasha, is something wrong?" Miroku asked, his voice gentle. His eyes were soft with worry. _Why is he staring at me?_ A sudden thought struck him._ He knows!_

_Hes a monk! He must have sensed the curse, and seen my fear earlier! He put two and two together,and...._ "Nothings wrong." He replied. Might as well try, anyway. He honestly didnt think it would work. _DDDD it! My voice went all soft! Thats really gonna convince him Im alright!_ He thought sarcastically.

"Inuyasha, I am ashamed." Miroku said softly. He dropped his head, and stared glumly at the ground. _Huh? _Inuyasha thought, surprised. What the heck was he talking about?

"Why?" Inuyasha asked in his most bewildered voice. Now it was Mirokus turn to be surprised. Didnt he know? Was he that clueless?

"Well, If you dont trust me enough to tell me the truth...." Miroku replied slowly. Sango took the hint, and left the room. She was thinking something along the lines of:_ Something tells me this is an Inuyasha to Miroku moment. _Inuyasha and Miroku both beard the door slide open, then shut, and figures she had gone.

"Idiot."Inuyasha replied with a yawn. "Youve been traveling with us for how long? And when have I ever trusted anybody that much?" Inuyasha frowned. Mirokus face was a mirror image of his. "Except Kagome." Inuyasha admitted. Mirokus expression cleared, and Inuyashas frown lessened, simultaniously.

"Have you seen this miko?" Miroku inquired gently. He had the tone of a tamer trying to ease a turtles head out of its shell, to expose itself, and trust him. Inuyasha relented.

"Yes. And she cursed me. Yes." Inuyasha answered. "But dont tell _anybody!_" He hissed. He flexed his claws as if to say 'or else'. Miroku flinched and sweatdropped immediatly. It didnt usually take Inuyasha much effort to scare the monk into doing whatever he tolf him to do. Usually.

"Fine, I wont tell anyone." Miroku relented. But he wasnt happy about it. That much was written all over his face. _Good. I can live with a little pain. But if Kagome ever found out..._ Well, it didnt matter. He wouldnt let Kagome ever find out. Not ever. He didnt even know what the black sickness _was. _Why let Kagome worry before he even knew what it was.

"So. Whats the black sickness?" Inuyasha asked. Miroku nearly fell over in shock.

"Its a disease...." Miroku started. He was hesitant, because he knew very well that Inuyasha liked to kill the bearer of bad new. "It originates from a curse. When you first get it, it causes an almost unimaginable amount of pain." Inuyasha winced at the memory, then shot Miroku a poisonous look that said, 'I already knew that!'.

Miroku swallowed and said quickly," Please dont kill me. Its a disease you get by being cursed by a Miko. It causes great pain when you get it. Then, every once in while, you get the pain again. It comes in waves. The attacks dont last very long at the beginning, but they get longer and closer together near the.... end" Miroku swallowed again.

"The last time, it lasts for hours and hours. Its worse then than the moment you get the disease. After that one...... after that one you..... expire." Miroku whispered those last few words. _After that one you.... expire..... expire.... _Inuyasha thought numbly, the words echoing loudly in his mind.

"I didnt know." He whispered. A tear fell and rolled down his face. His eyes were cast downward, and were filled with mental anguish. "Ill have to die... After Kagome finally knows that I love her... after we are finally together.... Il have to die." He whispered in a tortured voice. All that Miroku could do to comfort the hanyou was to put a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Sango was listening outside the door. There was something strange going on, and she knew it. The look in Inuyashas eyes when the Kuromiko was mentioned was something she would never forget. _Is he afraid he will be cursed? Well, Ill find out whats going on soon. I hope so, anyway. _

_"-_and she cursed me." Inuyasha was saying in a rather bleak voice. _Oh, no! Hes already cursed! But what is the Black sickness anyway? _"But dont tell _anyone!_" He added in a hiss. Sango knew Miroku would agree. _If he doesnt want anyone to know, I wont tell either. It cant be that bad._

"Fine. I wont tell anyone." Miroku relented. Sango smiled grimly. She had known he would agree. For all his bravery in battle, he wasnt that terribly hard to scare when it was just him against a demon as strong as Inuyasha. _Or a hanyou._ She added in her mind.

"So. Whats the black sickness." Inuyasha asked. Sango smiled. Here was another question he would have answered for her. Its was really a good thing to have Inuyasha around to ask her questions for her. Very convenient.

"Its a disease. It originates from a curse. When you first get it, It causes an almost unimaginable amount of pain." Miroku said hesitantly. Sango winced in sympathy for her friend. "Please dont kill me. Its a disease you get by being cursed by a Miko. It causes great pain when you get it. Then every once in a while you get the pain again. It comes in waves. The attacks dont last very long at the beginning, but they get longer and closer together near the end."

Sango swallowed. So apparently it was very bad indeed. She and Inuyasha listened on in silence. Miroku continued quietly, so she had to open the door slightlym noiselessly, to hear him." The last attack lasts for hours and hours. IT is worse than the first time you get the disease. After that one... after that one you... expire."

_No! Inuyasha cant die! No!_ She thought frantically. _But I still wont tell anyone. I remember something about it from before. It is uncurable. So if Inuyasha doesnt want anyone toknow, and there is nothing we can do about it, Ill let him tell Kagome and Shippou and I when he feels ready to._

A tear slid down her cheek, and she closed the door the rest of the way quietly. She noiselessly walked out of doors, and to the stream, where she pretended to be washing her hands. Her mind was in turmoil.


	4. Chapter Four

_Her eyes flashed in anger. Guess I hit a soft spot. He thought triumphantly. Immeadiatly she drew out a scroll. Holding it between her index finger, and her middle finger, she held it up in front of her chest. The other hand lay limply at her side, and he noticed that it ended in a whithered stump._

_Suddenly, he felt something twinge in his stomach. She began chanting something eerie. A curse! Inuyasha thought frantically. That ugly hag is cursing me! He was motionless, caught in the flow of the spell. An owl took flight with a hoot of protest at the engery encircling the two of them._

_The scroll stopped being a scroll. It melted into a white blob with letters on it. The the letters ran, coloring te scroll/blob partially black. The blackness spread, and a the same time, the blob began to lose mass. It got lighter, and became more like a glow of black light, for now it was completely black, than a blob of anything._

_The curse, for that was what it really was, not a blob, or a glow, rose into the air, taking flight from Kintaenas fingers and drifted toward him. Slowly, it came toward him, menacing and evil. Shes no miko! Shes a kuromiko! A darkl preistess! No! Inuyasha thought, petrified. He was physically unable to move._

_The orb flew onto his stomach, burning away the fabric of his kimono. It stuck like glue. With a dark chuckle, the priestess left. The orb then began to slowly sink into his skin. A wave of sudden pain hit him. It was so intense, he vomited. Another wave hit him, and he curled up in a ball. He was able to move now, but he wasnt paying any attention to that._

_He could only focus on the pain. He had never felt anything like this! Not when he was poisoned by that cursed spider demon. Not when Kagome had nearly killed him, having been controlled by something. Not even that time when Sesshoumaru had plunged his hand right through his stomach. That was in the same area, though. Inuyash thought vaguely._

_I remember now, he thought, this is a memory. He nearlky forgot that thought as the pain intensified. Every nerve in his taut body was burning, every muscel clenched. His teeth were clamped together so hard they were in danger of fraying. The white-hot pain only got worse. Its supposed to stop now! The thought desperatly. Dawn is supposed to come. _

_But dawn wouldnt come. Nothing would come. No friend would come and chase away his enemies when he could not. No death would come and releive the man of this relentless torment, so real, though for once he knew it was a dream. No blackness would claim him, and rid him of this torture, leaving him to the turmult of his mind. No._

_Finally he could take no more. Even Inuyashas dignity had its limits. His jaws unclamped and he screamed. The world around him faded and he thought with hopeful joy that he would faint. But though the forest around him dissapated, the pain did not leave. He tried to drown out his pain in his howls of agony, but not even that would save him._

_He knew of one person, one person in the whole of the world that could save him, that could heal anything. She wouyld rid him of this curse. And she could. She was the only one he had ever truely loved. Loved like family, that is. But she had left him. She had gone away to heal an onslaught of diptheria n a village. She never returned. _

_Suddenly Inuyasha saw her in front of him. "suki" he screamed her name in torment. But she shook her head slowly, denying what was before her very eyes. She backed up, slowly then faster. Finally she turned and fled._

* * *

"Onesama!!!" Inuyasha shreiked in his sleep. Kagome jerked awake. It was inuyasha. But who was 'sister'? _He has a sister?!_ She thought, surprised. She saw sango awaken instantly, and miroku rose as well, rubbing his ear. Inuyasha had a loud voice. Shippou was sleeping at his friends house, but doubtless he would come too. 

"I-Inuyasha?" Miroku said with a yawn. _Hes sweating._ Kagome noticed with a sudden swoop of fear in her stomach. What kind of terror could make Inuyasha sweat and scream? What was he dreaming?

He was clenched in a tiny ball. People were not supposed to be able to curl up that small. Obviously he was being visited by some nightly terror that only he could full understand the signifigance of. "Inuyasha?" Sango asked, very concerned. Miroku smirked, somehow finding humor in the unusual situaltion.

"bet he wakes up when I do this." Miroku whispered. He touched tetsusaigas hilt, which was leaning againt Inuyasha, and lifted it up. A second later a very annoyed hanyou was standing over the monk, who was on the floor with a very large bump on his head. "He woke up." Miroku informed them from the floor, with a crooked smile on his face.

Inuyasha snatched tetsusaiga, and drew it. Kagome was sure for a minute that he was going to use the wind scar on the poor monk. _Kaze no kizu_ would kill him for sure. But he only whacked Miroku again very very hard on the head. There would later be an enormus scar to show for it. "Serves him right, little perverted theif." He muttered.

"Inuyasha?"

"huh?"

"SIT!"


End file.
